Helen Keller once said, “Everything has its wonders, even darkness and silence, and I learn, whatever state I may be in, therein to be content.” In “Abandoned Farmhouse” by Ted Kooser, items can reveal your personality and stories. Every possession, belonging, or home has a story. Possessions reveal many qualities and characteristics. For example, when the speaker describes the man’s belongings and items it suggests many qualities, “He was a big man, says the size of his shoes / on a pile of broken dishes by the house; / a tall man too, says the length of the bed” (1-3). Since the “size of his shoes” show that he was a big man, items can point out certain attributes of a person. There are many reasons and stories for having certain items, and this can explain why the poem focuses on how the property of the man, woman, and child can tell stories about how and why they exist. In addition, the child has many toys which infer different explanations, “covered with oilcloth, and they had a child, / says the sandbox made …show more content…
For example, clues left behind on the farm tell stories too, “but not a man for farming, say the fields / cluttered with boulders and the leaky barn” (7-8). The “cluttered fields” emphasizes how there was a lack of use of the fields, showing neglect and not very much maintenance on the farm. The man is probably lazy and not hardworking, which can be a possible reason for the woman leaving in a “nervous haste”. In addition, some of these details can provide evidence to the family’s lifestyle, “And the winters cold, say the rags in the window frames. / It was lonely here, says the narrow country road” (15-16). The use of the word “say” provides a storytelling tone, making the items seem like they are telling a story. The family did not have many relatives or visitors because of the “narrow country road”. Living conditions can point out lifestyle and an individual’s